South Lanarkshire locals invited to give feedback on the councils 'toughest ever' budget

dailyrecord.co.uk:

South Lanarkshire residents are being invited to share their views on the upcoming council budget.The council is looking for local feedback on what has been deemed the ‘toughest ever’ budget as there is a £16.3 million gap between the money the council expect to receive and the cost of delivering services.Council Leader Joe Fagan said: “The budget gap was initially £37.5m but it has been reduced through finding efficiencies.

This has been achieved despite the fact that our real-term funding has fallen and we have had to find savings of more than £150m in the last decade.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android “On top of that, the council is facing the same economic pressures that the current cost-of-living crisis is inflicting on everyone. "Inflation is at 12 per cent, our gas and electricity bills have doubled, so the cost of delivering services has rocketed just at the time more people need our help.“We will do everything humanly possible to protect frontline services as much as we can, but there is no hiding from the damage being done by under-funding and rising costs.

So, this is the toughest budget yet, and it is more important than ever that local people tell us what matters to them most.”Public consultation will include talks with local community groups but everyone can join in by taking part in